


Lookout for Hell

by montecarlogirl87



Series: Highway to Hell [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 19:58:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2785814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/montecarlogirl87/pseuds/montecarlogirl87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heading for a hunt that they had postponed, they find out Monte’s connections travel far beyond Cave Spring, and Dean’s feelings travel far beyond his pants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_*AC/DC’s “Night Prowler” playing in the background*_

Both cars sped down the interstate passing one of the familiar green signs stating mileage left. Chattanooga: 54. They turned onto the side streets after taking the off ramp and pulled into a rest stop. Dean pulled the Impala up to a gas pump and started to fill it up. Monte parked in front of the convenience store and went inside, Sam following her in. She emerged a second later with a bottle Mountain Dew and a big hunk of beef jerky.

“You really are a redneck.” Dean quipped.  
  
She just shot him a glare.  
  
Sam came out a minute later after paying for the gas and using the restroom. He reached through the downed window on the Impala and pulled out the map, spreading it wide on the flat roof of the car.  
  
Monte leaned against the fender next to Dean.  
  
“Alright…we’re about fifty or sixty miles out of Chattanooga. The attacks have been happening around this park…’Lookout’…”  
  
“Lookout Mountain?” Monte jumped in.  
  
Dean looked at her surprised. “Yeah, actually…”  
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She scoffed.  
  
“What?” Sam asked.  
  
“My buddy…Rylee, lives like right outside the park. The state tried to get her to move, but the property belonged to her family for years, and they couldn’t win the legal battle.”  
  
Dean laughed and shot a look at Sam. “Why does it feel like I’m riding ‘It’s a Small World’?”  
  
Sam smiled.  
  
“Well, that’ll at least save us some cash. We can crash at her place.” She offered.  
  
“She’ll let us?”  
  
Monte laughed. “After all that hospitality in Cave Spring, you really underestimate my acquaintances?”  
  
He laughed. “No, I guess not.”  
  
“You said the attacks were werewolves right?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Alright…so brief me.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Well the shit I know about werewolves all comes from movies…so, tell me what I need to know.”  
  
“You don’t need to know anything. You’ll sit tight at this Rylee chick’s house and me and Sam will take care of the mutts.”  
  
“You are out of your cotton-picking mind if you think I’m gonna sit back and let you boys have the fun…don’t know what you’ve been smoking.”  
  
Sam laughed and looked at his watch. “We’ll we’ve only got about an hour left of sunlight…we should probably go now. Then we’ll have a couple days before the moon’s in the right cycle, and we can discuss it till then.”  
  
Monte smirked and walked back over to her car knowing damn well she was gonna win the fight.  
  
Dean threw the keys to Sam. “I’m gonna ride with her…that cool?”  
  
“Sure.” He replied, snatching the keys out of the air.  
  
Sam got in the Impala and turned the key…and the engine didn’t start.  
  
Dean stopped mid-stride and turned back around. “What did you do?!”  
  
“I didn’t do anything!” A very frustrated Sam said through the window, trying in vain to get the car to turn over.  
  
“Shit!” Dean hissed, walking to the front of the car and yanking up on the hood.  
  
Monte watched through the rearview mirror, scoffed, shook her head and got back out.  
  
“And what’s the problem?”  
  
“I dunno.” Dean said, as he looked under the hood.  
  
“Move.” Was all she said as she got back in her car and pulled it right up in front of the Impala. She left the car running and popped her own hood. Disappearing into the trunk to return with a set of grease covered jumper cables.  
  
“It’s not the battery…we just replaced it a couple months ago.”  
  
“I know dumbass…it’s probably your alternator.”  
  
“Great.” He said sarcastically.  
  
“Just chill a sec. I’ll jump ya here, and then we’ll just keep it running till we get to Rylee’s place. We can replace it there.”  
  
Dean watched impatiently as Monte proceeded to hook up the jumper cables, let it run for a second and then prompt Sam to try it again. Which when he did, the car started obediently.  
  
She silently chuckled to herself as she saw about a half-dozen truckers hanging around watching as the chick fixed the car and the guy stood by. She always loved that.  
  
Sam sighed in relief as she returned to her car, Dean climbing into the passenger seat. She pulled by his window and told him just to follow her and then waited until he got behind her before she pulled back onto the interstate.

* * *

 

_*Guns N Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” playing in the background*_

About an hour later they pulled up to a house out in the middle of nowhere. It was set way back in the woods and was only accessible by a dirt path that wound around for about three miles. The Impala now looked chocolate brown thanks to all the dust and dirt and Dean was cursing the country as he watched the poor thing in the side mirror.  
  
“Relax,” Monte joked. “She does have running water, we can wash it. Hell, I need to wash mine too.”  
  
He smirked that half-grin of his and extended his arm across the back of the seat and around her shoulders.  
  
She just smiled at him.  
  
After navigating over a cattle grate and through some old fencing Monte pulled up to the house, Sam parked the Impala next to her and almost regretfully shut it off.  
  
Dean was the first out…which was a big mistake.  
  
A huge red coonhound came running full tilt towards him and growling and barking like it was rabid.  
  
Dean in one fluid motion jumped up onto the hood of Monte’s car and scrambled his way towards the windshield.  
  
Monte was out of her car in a flash. “Phoenix! Stand down!”  
  
The dog immediately sat down and started to whine and wag her tail.  
  
Monte pointed at Dean, who was still perched atop her car. “If you scratched my paint, I’ll skin you alive boy.”  
  
He just sneered.  
  
Sam got out hesitantly as Monte walked over to the dog and crouched down playfully tousling her droopy ears.  
  
“Monte?!” They heard from the porch.  
  
“Rylee!”  
  
“What the hell are you doing here?” She asked as she came running down the steps and over to her, grabbing her into a hug and spinning around. “God girl, it’s been ages since I saw you.”  
  
“I know.” Monte smiled.  
  
“Shit…something ain’t right…did you find him?”  
  
Monte swallowed hard. “Yeah…he’s dead.” She whispered.  
  
Dean was growing more uncomfortable as he saw Monte start to tear up; he felt the need to go hold her. He had slid his way off the hood and had stealthy looked to make sure he hadn’t scratched her car. Sam laughed at him as Dean threw a nervous glance over the metal.  
  
“Oh shit babe…”  
  
Monte smiled slightly and nodded her head before clearing her throat. “Ry…this is Dean and Sam…they helped me.”  
  
Dean locked eyes with Monte, silently asking if she was okay. A slight nod was what he received, placating him enough to break the stare and shake Rylee’s hand after Sam.  
  
“You always were lucky.” Rylee winked at Monte.  
  
Monte just laughed, Dean smirked and puffed out his chest. Sam blushed and looked at the ground embarrassed.  
  
“So what you doin’ in Tennessee?”  
  
“Well…I think we better go inside for that.” She laughed. “And the Impala needs an alternator.” She said as she pointed to the car.  
  
Rylee nodded. “Alright, I’ll call Steve in the morning; see what he can rustle up.”  
  
Monte nodded, hooked arms with Rylee and walked towards the house. Phoenix ran in front and the boys followed behind.


	2. Chapter 2

About an hour later Rylee sat on her couch a beer in her hand and her jaw about on the floor.  
  
The story of what happened with Kevin had barely sunk in when the three of them put the icing on the cake and informed her about the werewolves that were apparently lurking in the area.  
  
“This is crazy….”   
  
“That’s what I said, before I started looking for Kev.”  
  
Rylee polished off her beer in two quick gulps.  
  
Sam and Dean shot a look between each other.  
  
“And…” Monte started, glaring at Dean. “ _He_ seems to think that when they go out looking for these wolves that I’m gonna stay here with you.”  
  
Rylee busted out into laughter, not stopping until she had tears streaming from her eyes.  
  
“You are one dumb sunavabitch. You obviously haven’t known her that long if you think she’s A: gonna let you push her around like that, and B: let you have all the fun and go out hunting without her.”  
  
Sam laughed at the look on Dean’s defeated face.  
  
Rylee continued to chuckle quietly to herself before she excused herself to go put some meat on the grill. Sam went back to ‘his’ room to take a shower and Dean moved over to sit next to Monte.  
  
She leaned forward and rubbed her eyes.  
  
“You alright?” He asked concerned, rubbing her back with his hand.  
  
“Huh? Yeah…I’m sorry I’m being such a bitch. But did you seriously think I was gonna let you and Sam go wandering off into the woods without me?”  
  
He laughed. “No, not really…but I did kinda hope.”  
  
“What is that supposed to mean?!”  
  
“I didn’t mean it like that! I know you’re damn well capable…I just…don’t want you getting hurt.”  
  
“And I don’t want you or Sam getting hurt.”  
  
Despite how he felt about her the touchy-feely stuff still was uncomfortable to him. Dean shifted his weight and leaned back.  
  
Monte smiled slightly, before placing her hand on his knee. Then she also shifted her weight and turned so she could lean her head against his chest.  
  
He smiled and wrapped his arm around her.  
  
After a moment in silence she excused herself and disappeared out the back door, leaving a very confused Dean on the couch.  
  
He waited all of two minutes to see if she would come back in before he shrugged on his leather jacket and followed her out. Almost gasping as he saw the view from the back of the house. There was a huge pristine lake that looked like it came out of a painting, and a small pasture off to the left with six horses grazing on the green grass draped in the last few rays of the sun.  
  
Monte was leaning on the railing that wrapped around the small deck. Dean walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.  
  
She in-turn leaned back against his warm body.  
  
“You sure you’re alright babe?” He whispered.  
  
She nodded. “Yeah…everything’s just gonna take a while to really sink in. I think I’m still runnin’ on adrenaline and shock.”  
  
He nodded too and started to place small kisses all over her cheek and jaw line.  
  
She turned within his arms, wrapping her own around his solid abs and back and making the kiss more intimate. When they broke his hazel eyes pierced into hers and he nuzzled her nose affectionately.  
  
She smiled, and for a split second he swore she was almost going to say something. But all she did was hug him tighter until Rylee walked around the corner to tell them that dinner was ready.

* * *

 

After dinner they all sat around the table discussing anything and everything.  
  
“Damn, I haven’t eaten this good in ages.” Sam joked, leaning back in the chair.  
  
“Tell me about it,” Dean jumped in. “Haven’t had a good home cooked meal since we were kids. Been living on fast food and coffee.”  
  
Rylee smiled at Monte.  
  
“Their first meal with me was breakfast cooked by Gladys…and it’s been down-home southern cooking ever since.” Monte smiled.  
  
“Ahh…that explains it.” Rylee laughed.   
  
“Lemme guess,” Dean jumped in. “You’re from Cave Spring?”  
  
“Born and bred.” Rylee smiled.  
  
He just laughed and shook his head.  
  
Monte was the one who had had enough of the friendly shit. They only had a couple days to get things done before the big hunt.  
  
She cleared her throat before she breached the subject.  
  
“Whether you like it or not I’m going with you on that hunt. So, you can either tell me what the hell I need to know, and I can help you. Or you can continue to be stubborn and leave me blind so that I can walk into something that I have no knowledge of, thus leaving me more open to attack.”  
  
Rylee smirked and watched Monte’s speech from the corner of her eye, shifting her gaze to see Dean’s reaction when she finished.  _That’s it girl, guilt trip ‘em, always works._ She laughed in her head.  
  
Dean sighed.  _Damn her._  
  
“Fine…werewolves don’t JUST hunt humans…but most prefer them. The thing with silver bullets is true…well silver anything really, I mean hell, you could stab ‘em with a silver dinner fork and it’d do the job just as well…”  
  
“If you cut off their head or hang them or something major like that they’re gonna die too.” Sam broke in. “Skinwalkers can also take the appearance of wolves…or any animal for that matter. But the most well known is the Navajos and we’re in the wrong local for that…so we got a pretty good chance that this is the real deal. The ones that once the animal takes over is just that…an animal.”  
  
Dean nodded. “Legend has it that they prefer young children and some say corpses. Corpses I could care less about…hell, recycling. But it’s when they go for the fresh meat that they get caught…”  
  
“The disappearances around here recently…that’s what’s doing it?” Rylee asked. “Werewolves?”  
  
Dean nodded. “We think so…the timeframe fits, with lunar cycles and shit, and the…prey.”  
  
Monte glanced between him and Sam. “Prey?”  
  
Sam bit his lip. “An entire boy scout troop went missing. The only ones found were the chaperones…and all of them had their hearts torn out.”  
  
“Holy shit…great.” Monte hissed.

_*Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” playing in the background*_

* * *

 

Dean crawled into bed, ready for some good rest after a long day on the road. Monte was standing by the dresser cleaning her guns.  
  
“You can do that tomorrow you know.”  
  
“Or I could do it now.” She shot back.  
  
“Monte…”  
  
She slammed the gun down and stood motionless.   
  
Then he heard one lone sniff.  
  
He quietly walked over to her and turned her around to embrace her in his arms.  
  
He didn’t say anything and she was forever grateful for it. After a moment in silence he steered them both towards the bed where they laid down in the darkness.  
  
“How do you do that?” She whispered into his chest.  
  
“Do what?”  
  
“Make everything else go away.”  
  
“I dunno,” He said, pulling back to look at her. “But I’ll keep doing it if I can.”  
  
She smiled before burying her face into the crook of his shoulder. Both of them slowly drifting to sleep. Dean wondering why she was still tense as he dozed off.

* * *

 

He woke up in the pitch-black darkness and reached out for the warmth of her body only to be jerked back into consciousness when he didn’t find it. His hand shot under his pillow and pulled the pistol waiting there with more ease than he would like to admit.  
  
“Monte?” He ventured into the darkness, only to be met by the silence of the night and the soft chirping of the bugs outside.  
  
He walked over to the bathroom and slammed the light on glancing around the room only to find her jeans that had been sitting on the chair missing…as well as her .38 from the dresser.  
  
“What the hell…” He whispered. Putting down his gun long enough to yank on his own pair of jeans and a pair of boots before walking down the hall.  
  
The soft click of Phoenix’s claws on the kitchen floor met him halfway down the hall.  
  
“Where is she girl?”  
  
Phoenix wagged her tail and trotted over to the door, scratching at it with her paw.  
  
Dean lowered his gun and cocked his head. “Damn…that’s a smart dog.” He whispered.  
  
He walked over to the door and opened it quietly, walking out onto the deck and into the cold air. He scanned the backyard quickly looking for any sign of her. Then he saw a soft glimmer to his left, a light was on in the barn. And then he saw a shadow move as Monte sat perched atop the fence petting one of the horses. He was just about to walk down the steps when he saw her put a halter on the horse, and two lead ropes acting as reins, and jumped on it bareback. The horse didn’t bolt or even startle, just stood quietly till Monte was situated and then began walking when asked to.  
  
Dean stood at the base of the steps watching her ride in the arena. She quickly started doing circles and different figures. He then watched as she asked the horse to trot and then canter. Finally she brought the beast down to a walk as she saw Dean’s figure moving towards the fence.  
  
“You alright?” He whispered.  
  
She nodded. “Yeah, couldn’t sleep, had to get out.”  
  
“Don’t do that again.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Leave like that…you scared the crap out of me.”  
  
She smiled. “Sorry.”  
  
He leaned against the fence and watched as she sat atop the big black gelding.  
  
“I saw you riding…what made you pick this monster?”  
  
“Monster?”  
  
“He’s the biggest one out here…looks like he could drag my car.”  
  
She laughed. “I dunno…always liked the draft breeds.”  
  
He smiled.  
  
“How ‘bout you join me…I was gonna go ride around the lake before I went back inside.”  
  
He chuckled. “I haven’t been on a horse since I was like twelve.”  
  
“So.”  
  
“So, I’m probably gonna fall off and break my neck in like point two seconds.”  
  
She laughed. “Come on you coward.” She said turning the horse around and grabbing a dark bay and haltering him as well.  
  
Dean mumbled something under his breath before climbing on the fence and clumsily getting on as Monte maneuvered the horse close enough.  
  
A few awkward moments, some cuss words and a few not so stifled giggles later Monte led the way out of the gate and towards the lake.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam awoke in a cold sweat, thankful that for at least once he didn’t remember what the hell he had been dreaming  
  
He laid in bed a few minutes, sleep refusing to come easily again when he heard something. He held his breath and tried to pinpoint the sound.  
  
Scratching. Claws scratching. Claws scratching at the door.

“No way…” He whispered. Silently jumping out of bed and moving towards the window just to confirm what he already knew. The full moon wasn’t for another three days.  
  
“What the hell…” He quick grabbed his backpack and pulled the revolver waiting there, popping the chamber out and grimacing when he saw only three silver bullets within. “Shit.” He hissed. He sure as hell hoped Dean had more stashed somewhere.  
  
He stalked his way down the hallway, the revolver cocked and partially raised. As he made his way towards the kitchen the scratching intensified and he could hear a slight whine accompanying it.  
  
He reached the kitchen and crept his way along the wall and over to the door, looking out through its window carefully. All he saw was air.  
  
Slowly he looked towards the ground and saw a red shape wiggling by the doorjamb.  
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He scoffed, shaking his head and dropping his gun to open the door for Phoenix to come back in.  
  
He was just about to turn when he heard soft laughter in the distance and saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and squinted through the darkness to see Monte and Dean on horseback by the lake. Dean looked like he was having a hell of a time just staying on the horse. Monte’s horse standing perfectly off to the side as she laughed at Dean’s inexperience.  
  
Sam smiled as he watched the two of them. Monte was intentionally playing with Dean’s horse. Making sure not to do enough to actually make him fall, but enough to piss off Dean.  
  
Sam leaned against the frame of the open door as Dean finally got his horse stopped and watched as Monte maneuvered hers close enough to the side to lean over and into a kiss, before Dean’s horse skipped to the side and once again threw Dean into a panic.  
  
Sam laughed. He remembered the last time he, Dean and their father had ridden horseback through Colorado looking for some sort of black cat that had been picking off flocks. It hadn’t sounded supernatural at first until they saw a farmer’s home video. The old man had shot the thing in the head and all it had done was look straight into the camera with glowing red eyes and trotted away. They never did find it. But that whole trip was made miserable by Dean’s constant complaining. He never did like riding.  
  
Sam felt a cold nose in the back of his knee making him jump. “Damn girl.”  
  
Phoenix wagged her tail.  
  
He smiled and leaned down to rub her soft red head as he watched Monte ride next to Dean, grabbing his horse and bringing it back down to a walk before heading back to the barn.  
  
“I hope he knows how lucky he is.” Sam whispered. “She really does love him doesn’t she?”  
  
Phoenix whined.  
  
Sam laughed. “Relax girl, I’m alright. Good, even. He needs her, she needs him…and hell, I don’t want her to leave either.”  
  
Phoenix responded by covering Sam’s cheek in slobber before he could fight his way into standing again.  
  
“Thanks.” He joked as he grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped his face.  
  
He looked back out the window in time to see Dean fall on his ass while trying to get off the bay gelding he had been riding.   
  
Sam laughed and went back to bed. Phoenix following him and making herself at home at the foot of his bed.

* * *

 

In the morning when Dean and Monte finally drug their asses out of bed and down the hall they heard laughter before they ever made it to the kitchen  
  
“Oh hell no…I’m gonna kill you, you little bitch.” Monte said as she turned the corner.  
  
Rylee just smiled…with an open box full of photos from when she and Monte were kids.  
  
“What?”  
  
Sam had a handful and smiled.  
  
“What is it?” Dean asked, shouldering his way around her.  
  
Monte snatched a dog-eared picture from Rylee’s grasp and laughed when she looked at it. It was a picture of her in her diaper when she was like two.  
  
“I can’t believe you kept these.”  
  
“Why the hell wouldn’t I?”  
  
Monte just glared.   
  
“What the hell are you in?” Dean asked, peering over her shoulder.  
  
“Oh that?” Monte laughed. “My mom went for an interview that day…left me with my dad and…brother. They couldn’t figure out how to use the damn diapers so they kept it on me with fuckin’ duct tape.”  
  
Sam and Dean both laughed as Monte shook her head and threw the picture back at Rylee.  
  
“I shoulda known you were gonna try to blackmail me with these things one day.” She joked as she went and grabbed a cup of coffee for her and Dean, and sat down next to Rylee, thumbing through the old photos.  
  
“I’m not blackmailing you! I’m just showing our new friends.” She grinned evilly.  
  
“Bitch.” Monte hissed as she sipped her coffee.  
  
Rylee just smiled.  
  
“What’s that?” Sam asked pointing in the box.  
  
Rylee pulled out a photo that was larger than the rest and placed it on the counter as she threw a nervous glance in Monte’s direction.  
  
Monte’s coffee stopped halfway to her lips and returned to the table encased in a trembling hand.  
  
Dean was munching on a biscuit and swallowed quickly when he saw Monte reach across the table for the photo.  
  
It was an old professional portrait of her and her parents…and her brother.  
  
Tears started to well in her eyes.  
  
 _Damn him. Damn him for making her weak_.  
  
Without a word she tore off the side of the photo, completely obliterating Kevin from the picture.  
  
Rylee jumped a little and Sam shot a look at Dean.  
  
She then placed the now jagged-edged photo on the counter, stood up and walked outside without a word.  
  
Dean quietly went outside.

* * *

 

_*Sugarcult’s “Counting Stars” playing in the background*_

“Hey…you okay?”  
  
“What the hell do you think?”  
  
He bit his lip. “Sorry.”  
  
She hung her head. “Don’t apologize. You had nothing to do with it.”  
  
“That’s not the point.”  
  
“Than please enlighten me, ‘cause I sure as hell don’t know what it is.”  
  
“Just let me help you.”  
  
Silence.  
  
“I don’t know how.” She whispered.  
  
He walked over to where she was leaning over the handrail of the porch. He leaned his back against it next to her and propped the heels of his hands on the wooden board.  
  
“Look…I’m not asking you to get over it or let it go. I know it’s not that easy…”  
  
“No it’s not…he was…family.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“I see the way you look at Sam…like he’s all you have left. I know you know how much family means. I can see it in your eyes the way you panic when he puts himself in a dangerous situation. Like you would die if he did. That’s how I was with Kevin. My world revolved around him. He was all I had.” She paused.   
  
“But…he’s gone now. I mean…I don’t even know how to function anymore. Each breath I take I almost have to consciously think about. Each movement, each bite of food, each night when I go to sleep is like a battle. I mean, hell, it was bad enough after he left and now all I can see his is bloody body on that cold stone floor, and all I can hear is his voice begging, and the click of that damn trigger. And then…the red. The blinding, mind-numbing blood-red…knowing I killed my own brother.”  
  
“It wasn’t him.”  
  
She shook her head. “Yeah it was. I mean, it wasn’t. He wasn’t the one that killed my parents. He was already gone by then. But…it was him…at the end…when I killed him.”  
  
Dean didn’t say anything, all he did was pull her into his arms where she rested her face against his warm chest.  
  
She didn’t cry. She hadn’t cried since the day after his death. Not that she hadn’t wanted to…she just couldn’t. It’s like her body had no more tears left to shed.  
  
“Monte…” He sighed. “This is new territory for all of us. Just…at least let me try to help you.”  
  
She nodded.  
  
He kissed the top of her head and stood in silence for a few minutes before Sam and Rylee came out of the house to join them.  
  
“Hey Dean…I meant to ask you…are we out of silver bullets?”  
  
“We shouldn’t be… _why_?”  
  
“’Cause last night I looked in my Colt and was very comforted to see all of three bullets.”  
  
“What?” Dean unwrapped his arms from Monte. “Shit…there might be some in the trunk somewhere…come on.” He said going down the steps with Sam behind him.

* * *

 

“So…” Rylee started.  
  
Monte smiled. “Don’t give me that ‘so’ crap…you know me better than that.”  
  
Rylee smiled this time, walking over to lean next to Monte.  
  
Monte sighed. “I think…I mean…you know I don’t like saying it. But there’s just something about him…but I can’t…I mean…I’ve tried…and I can’t…”  
  
“Stop stuttering at me.”  
  
Monte laughed and rubbed her face. “What the hell’s wrong with me?”  
  
“Him. He’s a guy, thus screwing you up.”  
  
Monte laughed again.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean was throwing random objects out of the trunk and cursing the whole way.  
  
“Damnit!” He yelled as he struck the edge of the trunk.  
  
“No bullets, right?” Sam asked.  
  
“Just what you have. Shit…”   
  
Sam sighed and turned around.  
  
“So now what do we do?”  
  
“We need silver…and we need to make some ammo…quick.”  
  
“And how are we gonna buy that much silver…we gotta arm three people this go round…maybe four if Rylee decides to tag along…and it’s kinda obvious we’re running low on cash.”  
  
Dean sighed this time. “I dunno.”

* * *

 

Dean came us the stairs first. “Hey babe…”  
  
“What’s up?”  
  
“You wouldn’t happen to have any silver bullets by any chance would you?”   
  
“Actually I do. I have a magazine full of them for my Springfield…why?”  
  
“That’s it?”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“Shit…”  
  
“What?!”  
  
“We’re out.”  
  
“Out. Like none at all?”  
  
“Yup.”  
  
Monte crossed her arms. “Seriously, I don’t know how you boys survived.”  
  
Rylee laughed.  
  
“Well…I guess we need to get some don’t we.”  
  
“That’s the problem. We don’t exactly have enough cash to get that much silver.”  
  
“Then I guess we need to make some cash.”  
  
“You’re not?” Rylee jumped in staring at Monte.  
  
“What?” Sam asked.  
  
“Damn right I am.”  
  
“No…Monte…you said you would never do that again.”  
  
“Well…looks like I have to doesn’t it?”  
  
“Monte…”  
  
“Ry…just shut it.”  
  
“What are you talking about?” Dean asked glancing nervously between the two girls. He didn’t exactly like the direction this conversation was headed in.  
  
“We’ll go to town, the boys can hit a couple bars…play some pool…get a lil’ cash…and I’ll hit a bar…and do my thing.”  
  
“Your thing…what exactly is your thing?” Dean was getting pissed…and worried.  
  
Rylee was staring Monte down, obviously not happy.  
  
“And why did you say me and Sam are going to a different bar? You’re lying to yourself if you think I’m not coming with you.”  
  
“Dean…if you came with me you’d end up getting pissed and stepping between me and a guy and then we’re not going to make any money. Just trust me.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Well that’s comforting.”  
  
“Damnit Monte…what are you doing?!”  
  
“I’m not gonna tell you! Trust me…I’ll be fine. I’m not going to do anything dangerous…and we need the cash. You and Sam are okay with pool and poker but you know even you guys aren’t good enough to pull in that kinda cash in one day.”  
  
Dean huffed. She was right. But he still didn’t like not knowing what she was doing. Plus the added details of her wanting to be alone because he would step between her and a guy. He didn’t like the idea of her being with a guy anyways…especially getting money from him. He didn’t like what that implied.  
  
Monte didn’t wait for him to say anything else she just disappeared into the house.

“What is she up to?” He shot at Rylee.   
  
“Nothing good. But I don’t want to be the one to tell you…she should be.”  
  
“Damnit…” He hissed.  
  
“Alright…well I’ll tell ya what. Sam and me can go into town and get that alternator for your car. And with you two alone maybe she’ll talk to you.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“I’ll be right back.” She said as she went down the stairs and across the lawn into her garage.  
  
“What do you think she’s doing?” He asked Sam. He knew damn well Sam was as lost as he was, but this secret she was hiding just kept nagging at his brain.  
  
“Dean…you know better than I do that you can’t guess shit about Monte. How many times has she thrown us some kinda spiral curve ball?”  
  
“I know…I just…I don’t like the sound of this…”  
  
He was quickly drowned out as Rylee backed a lipstick red 1964 1/2 Mustang convertible out of her garage.  
  
Sam and Dean both looked over slack-jawed.  
  
“What?” She shrugged.  
  
Sam laughed, slapped Dean on the back, “Good luck man,” and ran over to get in the car and head to town.  
  
Dean watched as the Ford went rumbling down the gravel driveway and disappeared through the trees.  
  
This was going to be interesting.

* * *

 

Monte was inside getting changed. Skin-tight low-slung jeans, tight black t-shirt and a pair of black low-rise boots.  
  
Dean walked in behind her and almost tripped.  
  
 _Damn_.  
  
Monte saw him in the mirror and smiled.  
  
“What is that grin for?”  
  
“’Cause I know how much this is bothering you.” She said as he plopped down on the bed.  
  
“Why won’t you just tell me?”  
  
“Dean…” She started, sitting down next to him. “You know we’re running short on time…I know how to get cash…quick. Please…just trust me.”  
  
“I want to trust you…I just don’t like the sound of this…I mean…you’re not…you’re not going to…I mean…sell…”  
  
“…Prostitute?”  
  
He hung his head.  
  
“You have got to be kidding me! You seriously think for one second that I would sink that low?! Dean!”  
  
“No! Not really…I just…can’t figure out what you’re talking about.”  
  
“Trust me?”  
  
He paused, sighed and then nodded his head reluctantly.  
  
“Thank you. I promise I’ll tell you…afterwards. But you have to trust me that I can’t now…’cause I know you. You’d throw a hiss-fit.” She said, standing back up.  
  
“No I wouldn’t!”  
  
She just looked at him and raised her eyebrow.  
  
“Fine…Sam and Rylee went to town.”  
  
“I figured as much…I heard her car. We’ll just meet ‘em up there……this is still bothering you isn’t it?”  
  
“Yes. I just…I dunno. Can Sam go with you? I don’t exactly like you being alone…”  
  
“No Dean…I’ll be fine and you of all people should know I don’t need a damn bodyguard.”  
  
“I didn’t mean it like that…I know you’re capable…I just…”  
  
“It’s okay…I’ll have my good friend Ruger with me.”  
  
“What?” He chuckled.  
  
She laughed and propped her foot on the bed, lifting her pant leg enough to show off a black and brushed nickel pistol strapped to her ankle.  
  
He laughed and shook his head. “You scare me sometimes you know.”  
  
She smiled and walked over to him, placing her hands on his knees and leaning over to kiss him.  
  
She stared into his eyes when they broke. His brow scrunched slightly…he could have sworn she was going to say it…  
  
“Come on…let’s get goin’.” She said as she grabbed her black leather jacket and waltzed out of the room.  
  
He watched her jean-clad hips sway out of the door and sat perplexed for a moment before following her.

* * *

 

They met Rylee and Sam at Steve’s place; Lancaster Paint and Body. He did mostly body work as the name implied, but he knew all the local junkyards and parts houses and got them an alternator pretty cheap. He also said he would drive out to Rylee’s place and put it in for them while they were in town. It would be good to go by the time they got back tonight.  
  
“Alright…Sam… _Dean_ …you guys can go with Rylee, hit the south part of town. The drunks tend to hang out there…and you can pretty much talk ‘em out of their money in poker…let alone if you guys are even halfway sober you could beat ‘em in pool…I’ll head to the north.”  
  
Dean locked eyes with Monte…making damn sure she knew he still wasn’t happy with this. She gave him a reassuring smile and got in her car and headed out.  
  
Dean was left staring as the taillights receded with Sam watching cautiously from the side.  
  
“Dean…we should umm…get going…we gotta get this cash man. It’ll be okay…”  
  
He nodded and climbed over the door of the Mustang and into the back seat.


	5. Chapter 5

_*Led Zeppelin’s “Rock & Roll” playing in the background*_

Rylee, Dean and Sam headed to On The Rocks, a small cheap establishment. Off a dirt road, they served cheap beer and cheap whisky and most of the people there were regulars. Needless to say the two newcomers quickly got into some testosterone battles with the old guys. Money and beer flowing like the damn Niagara Falls.

Monte headed north. Known for two opposite ends of the spectrum. Upper class sports bars, well, as upper class as a bar in the middle of the country could be, and the seedy, dark, biker bars, the places she brought the Ruger along for.

First she hit The Alley. Basic run-of-the-mill sports bar. NASCAR and hunting programs adorning most of the TVs. She made her way to the bar and got the basic Budweiser. It didn’t take five minutes before guys where pouring over her. She tended to pick her prey carefully…but hell, if the fucker was stupid enough to approach her she was not above attacking the weak.  
  
She left The Alley after only an hour. She had a nice wad of cash stuffed in her jacket lining but the wells at The Alley had started to run dry and she split. No need drawing undue attention.  
  
Next was Shovelhead. One place she only went to if she wanted action. But tonight was important. She needed cash so Shovelhead it was.

* * *

 

_*Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” playing in the background*_

The Monte Carlo stood out in the parking lot. Old Firebirds and black Harley’s parked haphazardly on the gravel. She made sure it was locked before walking through the classic swinging doors.  
  
Shaved heads with long beards turned and lifted the second she walked through the door.  
  
“This should be fun.” She whispered to herself.  
  
Straight to the bar she went.  
  
“Crown Royal…neat.”  
  
The bartender finished cleaning the glass he had and arched her eyebrow before serving her.  
  
She slammed it back drawing even more attention before ordering another.

* * *

 

Dean and Sam walked out as Rylee tried to calm the old drunks that wanted a rematch. They had cleaned up in that bar. In an hour and a half they had walked out with a combined $250 from pool and poker. Monte had been right to send them there.  
  
“Alright…now where?” Sam asked.  
  
Rylee pulled out her cell phone. “I’m just gonna see where Monte is.”  
  
Dean leaned against the Mustang hands shoved in his pockets and feet kicking the ground.  
  
“Where you at? What?! Why the hell did you go there? Fine…are you leaving? Alright…alright…we’ll meet you there, ‘kay? Alright…bye.”  
  
“Where is she?” Dean asked, his panic slowly rising.  
  
“She’s just at a biker bar…she’s almost done. Come on we can meet her there.”  
  
Dean was the first one in the car. Not caring in the least if he showed his desire to get there quick.

* * *

 

_*Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” playing in the background*_

Monte nuzzled noses with the big guy named Jake that was sitting next to her. She laughed at his jokes and let him pour her beer. She had just slipped her hand under his jacket and around his side when Rylee, Sam…and Dean came walking in the door.  
  
She saw Dean and everything went to hell. Jake saw her focus turn and quickly got pissed. Luckily she was able to recover and still get what she was after before Dean came storming up to her.  
  
“Explanation?! Please?”  
  
“Dean…” She cursed through clenched teeth. “Not. Here.”  
  
“No! It is going to be here.”  
  
“Dean…get in the car…NOW!”  
  
Sam cleared his throat as Rylee glanced around at the guys that she assumed had also been with Monte that night.  
  
“Dean…we really should…go…now.” She whispered behind him.  
  
Dean had his eyes locked with Monte. After everything that had happened. He had thought she had felt something. A couple times he thought she was actually going to say _it_. It had scared him too, because part of him was screaming to say it to her.  
  
But seeing her with that guy just struck something. He didn’t care at that moment if every whisky laden beer gut in that place jumped him. Nothing would hurt this bad.  
  
Monte saw something in his eyes. Something that struck  _her_.  
  
“Dean…” She whispered. “Please…get in my car. I need to talk to you…just not here…please.” She begged.  
  
He didn’t nod, he didn’t acknowledge, he just turned and stormed out.  
  
Monte looked at Rylee who offered her a friendly smile.   
  
“Go…me and Sam can head home.”  
  
“Thanks hun.” She smiled forcefully, hugging Rylee and kissing Sam on the cheek before leaving.

Monte walked out to see Dean standing by her car, hands shoved in his pockets and staring down the road.  
  
She walked over to him and didn’t even bother to unlock the car.  
  
“Dean…”  
  
“What was that? Please tell me.” He cut out through clenched teeth.  
  
She sighed and reached into the inside of her jacket pulling out about a dozen wallets and money clips and tossed them on the hood of her car.  
  
“That.”  
  
He looked confused. Met her eyes, and then picked up one of the wallets.  
  
“You were pick pocketing?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“Holy shit…”  
  
“Yep. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you what I would be doing. I gotta get close to the guys before I can make the grab. And I knew you would get jealous.”  
  
“I wasn’t jealous…I was hurt.” He whispered.  
  
She unlocked the car and threw the money in the backseat before standing in front of him again.  
  
“We’ve been through a lot. And you haven’t left me…no way in hell I would leave you…especially for somebody in that hell hole.”  
  
He smiled slightly. “I’m sorry, ‘bout in there…I guess I overreacted.”  
  
“It’s okay…but we should get going before one of ‘em realizes they can’t pay the tab I just wracked up.” She winked.  
  
He grabbed her and kissed her before she could walk away. And right then and there he wanted to say it. But she smiled and walked around to the other side of the car and got in before he had the chance.  
  
He sighed and got in too.

* * *

 

They sat around the kitchen table after dinner.  
  
“So what did you guys get?”  
  
Sam threw the cash on the table.  
  
“’Bout $250…give or take a lil.”  
  
Monte scoffed.  
  
“What did you get?” Dean asked sarcastically, thinking they did a pretty damn good job.  
  
“$569…and thirty-three cents.” She said, tossing two equally impressive money clips on the counter.  
  
Rylee laughed and sipped her beer.  
  
“Holy shit…” Sam whistled.  
  
Monte smirked triumphantly at Dean, who just glared.  
  
“We got one day left…hit the pawn shops…make some ammo.”  
  
Dean laughed.  
  
She smiled.

Sure thing, next morning they headed into town and the three small towns surrounding them and emptied every pawnshop of anything silver they had.   
  
They melted the shit down and started the long process of making a stash of bullets.


	6. Chapter 6

Packed, loaded and ready to go, they sat and waited.  
  
Monte couldn’t stand it. She had been on the run, on the hunt for her brother for so long that she couldn’t stand the sitting still…the silence.  
  
She sighed hard as she fidgeted in her seat. 

Sam was in the other room watching the news and Rylee was sitting at the kitchen table cleaning her sniper rifle. It had been passed down from her father from the Vietnam War.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Dean implored looking up from the newspaper.  
  
She glared.  
  
“I hate sitting here. Cant we go like…stakeout or something?”  
  
He smirked.  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
Sam came walking in drawing Dean’s eye.  
  
“Well…a bit of bad news…”  
  
“Shit…what?”  
  
“Due to the cold front that’s about to hit…there’s supposed to be a shit-load of fog tonight…thick.”  
  
“Damnit…” Monte hissed.  
  
“Typical,” Rylee snapped, putting her gun back together violently as she twirled a toothpick in her mouth.  
  
“So now what?”  
  
Monte’s lips were drawn tight and she stood up grabbing her .44 and unlocking the safety. “I dunno ‘bout you guys but I’m gone.” She said, practically running out the back door.   
  
“Monte…wait…”  
  
All of them followed her, just in time to see her jump on a horse that she had saddled earlier, unbeknownst to them.  
  
“Shit.” Dean hissed as they ran towards the barn. It didn’t matter. They were no match for the horse and Monte was through the trees before they even made it to the pasture.  
  
“God damnit! Has she always been like this?!” Dean asked Rylee in frustration and rage, as he pointed towards the now silent forest line.  
  
She sighed and shifted her gun. “What? Impulsive, rash, reckless, restless? …Yeah.”  
  
“Damnit.” He grabbed the nearest horse and started fumbling with the halter.  
  
“Just wait, damn, let me do it.” Rylee snatched the lead rope from him and tacked up the horse quicker than he would have ever been capable of doing.  
  
Sam bit the inside of his lip as Dean all but paced.  
  
“She'll be okay Dean.”  
  
“Shut up.” He cut out as he mounted up and yanked on the reins spurring the horse towards the trees.  
  
“We’ll be right behind you.” Rylee told him as he galloped off. She shared a look with Sam and proceeded to tack up two more horses.

* * *

 

Monte was twisting and turning her horse through the trees, never going any faster than a slow trot. Her senses where on high alert. She listened to everything and cursed the damn bugs that always droned on in the southern nights. Her eyes couldn’t see very well through the thick fog that was starting to descend on the mountain but she knew her horse had a somewhat better sense; and she watched him carefully. Growing up with horses had taught her that you didn’t just listen to your horse; you  _had_ to listen to your horse. Each ear swivel, each slight head turn or soft snort made her listen a little harder. The horse would probably sense something way before she ever did.  
  
She stopped in a clearing to rest for a second when her horse’s ears swiveled behind him. She turned him sharp and stared into the misty blackness. She only held her breath for a second, because despite not knowing anything about the creatures she was hunting she could still tell the comforting hoof beats of a horse.  
  
Sure enough, Dean came trampling through the underbrush, smacking sticks and spider webs from his path. More or less letting the horse lead, which was actually the smartest thing for him to do.  
  
He stopped in the clearing fighting with the invisible spider web strings that apparently were crisscrossed across his face.  
  
“Damnit…”  
  
Monte couldn’t help but smirk.  
  
“Do you always have to do that?!”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Run off?”  
  
“Yeah.” She shot back sarcastically. “The moons out Dean, there was no reason to be sitting around the house waiting for what I don’t know.”  
  
“That’s not the point. You didn’t have to rush headlong into this. You could have waited for us to come with you.” He chided as she dismounted. He watched for a second as she unbuckled her reins and tied them to the saddle.  
  
She studied what she was doing and ordered Dean to do the same.  
  
He didn’t know why, but with a confused and furrowed brow he followed her example.  
  
As soon as he had finished she whistled in two short bursts and both horses turned and trotted off through the trees back the way they came.  
  
“Wait…what?”  
  
“They’re going home. I don’t want them here when the fighting starts.”  
  
“Wait…you send the horses home, because you don’t want them hurt, but yet you come out here…alone.”  
  
She glared. Like hell he was going to lay a guilt trip on her.  
  
“Yup.”  
  
“Damnit Monte…”  
  
“What Dean?! Tell me what the hell your problem is?!”  
  
"This apparent death wish you seem to have! You're always putting yourself in danger and I can't protect you from yourself and then I'm the one that ends up having the heart attack!"  
  
She stared.  
  
“Monte…” He sighed. “You and Sam are all I’ve got…if something…if something happened…I’d never forgive myself.”  
  
“I can take care of myself.” She whispered.  
  
“I know you can. But that doesn’t mean something couldn’t happen. I of all people should know…I almost died not too long ago. And Sam, well, he’s had his fair share.”  
  
She bit the inside of her lip and stared at the ground.  
  
“I know. You and Sam are all I have.”  
  
He sighed and moved over to her and hugged her, resting his chin on her head. He kissed her forehead while he held her face in his hands.  
  
“Monte…I…” He whispered.  
  
An eerie howl broke through the darkness.  
  
Both of them turned. Wide eyes searching the blackness for any movement. Both drawing weapons.  
  
A second howl joined, only to be followed by more in a dark, sinister, twisted chorus.  
  
The sound of pounding feet started to echo around them and gain in volume. Monte had her .44 aimed into the darkness and Dean was right next to her with his Winchester rifle.  
  
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Sam halted them as he and Rylee finally caught up with them breathless. “We came as fast as we could when we heard the howls.”  
  
“Yeah…” Dean sighed. “They’re out.”  
  
As they all started through the maze of trees and blackness, as if somehow any of them could have seen anything, another howl broke through the cold. But this one was different.  
  
“What the hell?”  
  
“Shit…” Rylee hissed. “That’s Phoenix. Crap!”  
  
She shared a frantic look with Monte.  
  
“Sam, get off.” Monte barked. He was a bit stunned for a second by obliged. As soon as he did Rylee cut her horse hard and returned to the darkness on a quick ride home. Sam’s horse following, off her flank.  
  
Dean looked at Monte.  
  
She stood completely still. The .44 in one hand, her Springfield in the other. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted to the sky. She breathed in deep.  
  
Sam and Dean shot a nervous and somewhat confused look between each other. Dean held his rifle and Sam had the Colt resting by his side.  
  
One more sigh and she lowered her head, opening her eyes and looked at them both.  
  
“Get ready.”

_*Metallica’s “Of Wolf & Man” playing in the background*_

Dean had barely got out “Huh?” when they heard it. Rustling coming through the underbrush off through the distance.  
  
Sam quick looked over at Monte to ask her how the hell she did that and all he saw was both guns aimed, her jaw tight and her gaze glazed over. He was going to have to ask her about that.  
  
The sounds quickly came to a stop. Dean and Sam both aimed to where they had mysteriously vanished. Their breath forming small clouds as they breathed in the cold air of the mountain. The adrenaline starting to flow.  
  
Monte squinted. Something wasn’t right. She turned in time to see a large black beast flying through the air, yellow eyes and teeth flashing. She aimed, and she shot, rolling her shoulder as it fell with a resounding thud between her and the boys.  
  
“Don’t fucking watch me!” She shouted. “Watch the woods!”  
  
As Sam and Dean turned back around they saw not one, but two, prowling towards them. Drool hanging from their four-inch canines.  
  
They both took aim as they heard they heard Monte yell behind them to watch out.  
  
Dean was turning to see her when he caught her meaning.  
  
Another black shadow was advancing on Sam’s side. As Dean’s eyes went wide while his mind played flashes of the beast hitting Sam, he aimed.  
  
At the same time the two in front of Sam pounced.  
  
It all happened so fast it was hard to tell what bullet came from what gun. Sam pulled the trigger on his Colt four times. One in the head and heart of each in front of him as Dean tried to be steady as he barely shot over his brother’s shoulder before rushing headlong into him to throw him out of the way of the 300 pounds of furred muscle came crashing down.  
  
As they both stood up, almost instinctively they slammed their backs together.  
  
Dean happened to spin just in time to see two more come crashing full tilt towards Monte.  
  
Everything happened slow motion in his eyes. One struck her as it jumped, knocking the gun from her hands, and continued towards the two of them. He half focused on the impending threat and half watched as the second descended upon Monte’s still downed form.  
  
His scream echoed through the darkness.  
  
“NO!!!”  
  
Monte stared into the yellow eyes of the demon on top of her. This was getting ridiculous, first her brother eating a piece of her arm and now she had a massive black, ugly ass dog on top of her, drooling like fucking Beethoven none the less.  
  
 _Asshole_.   
  
She pulled one of her daggers and rammed it under the dogs jaw, clean through, it pried the mouth open just enough to see the shimmering blade as it went between the beast’s teeth and pierced the roof of its mouth.  
  
The strange half growl, half howl the animal tried to make as it’s eyes locked on hers with fury at the pain, was quickly cut short as she pulled the twin to the blade already covered in blood and plunged it to the hilt in the animals heart.  
  
Dean didn’t see any of it. He had zoned out as he pulled the trigger repeatedly on the Smith & Wesson he had had in his waistband. He emptied the magazine into the animal that had leaped over Monte.  
  
Next thing he knew it was lying at his feet as he panted, he blinked repeatedly as Sam slapped him and ran past him. He looked up to see Sam shoving 200+ pounds of dead weight off of Monte.  
  
He snapped out of it and ran to her.  
  
“Shit…are you okay?”  
  
“Yeah, yeah…I’m fine.” She clipped as she tried to wipe some of the blood of her hands. “Fucker.” She grumbled.  
  
He smirked, and looked over at the hilts protruding from the wolf.  
  
“How the hell…”  
  
“I dipped ‘em in silver.” She said, as she stood up and braced a foot on the thick black fur as she yanked the blades loose.  
  
Sam smiled. “Smart.”  
  
She tilted her head with a cocky grin. “I know.”

* * *

 

Dean walked beside Monte, with his hand around her back towards Rylee’s house in the darkness, guns still drawn in their free hands. Sam was right beside them reloading his Colt. There was no telling whether they had killed the whole pack or not.  
  
Through the black silence thoughts were running on a rampage through Dean’s head. 

He could have lost Monte so easily back there. He had zoned out. He should have shot and ran to her. He didn’t even know she was okay until everything was over. He was killing himself over it.   
  
 _I can’t lose her. Not now._  
  
He had always been the protective older brother to Sam. He couldn’t remember a day he hadn’t been. Even when Sam was in college. Sam never knew, or their Dad for that matter, of the secret random visits Dean would make to Stanford. Just to check up on his baby brother.  
  
Now he had Monte thrown into the mix too. There was no putting the love of family before just plain love. But the opposite was true too. There was no way he could ever choose between the two. And he prayed to whatever god there was that he would never have to. But that still didn’t change the fact that he could have lost her all of twenty minutes ago. 

His eyes snapped up from the wet leaf-covered ground when Monte released his hand. His other immediately tightened on his pistol in alarm.  
  
Next thing he knew he was staring at the Impala, the Monte Carlo and Ry’s house.   
  
Monte stood slightly in front of the boys. Everything was still.  
  
Too still.  
  
“What’s the prob…”  
  
“Shut up!” She hissed.  
  
Dean’s eyes scanned everything he could. The trees, the house, the field…nothing.  
  
Monte let out a low whistle, imitating a bob white quail.  
  
Sam scrunched his eyebrows.  
  
The sound of a whippoorwill answered from the rooftop.  
  
“What the fuck…” Dean whispered.  
  
Monte turned and smiled. “Rylee’s on sniper duty.” She winked.  
  
He just laughed and headed towards the house, where a comforting glow in the windows and smoke rising silently from the chimney and mingling with the ever thickening fog promised a warm fire to rest weary feet by.  
  
Rylee climbed down the ladder on the side of her house and met them on the porch.  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“They surrounded us in that clearing. We took down a half-dozen of ‘em. What about here? Is Phoenix okay?”  
  
“Yeah, she’s fine…it was more of a warning bay.” She smiled. “One did show, the horses alerted me. Only took one shot to bring it down though. It’s over by the wood pile.”  
  
Monte nodded.  
  
“Think that’s it?”  
  
Sam looked out over the lake. “Yeah…I think it is.”  
  
“How do you know?” Dean asked.  
  
“I dunno.”  
  
They all stood in silence.  
  
Rylee broke it. “Well, I dunno ‘bout you guys but I could use some coffee. I got cocoa too.” She winked.  
  
Monte smiled and threw her arm around Ry’s shoulders and started them towards the house.  
  
None of them made it to bed till about dawn.


	7. Chapter 7

Dean got out of a quick late-night shower and dropped in bed beside Monte.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
She clutched her pillow under her head with her eyes closed and nodded slightly.  
  
“Yeah…” She whispered. “You?”  
  
He nodded when she opened her eyes.   
  
He turned on his side and reached over to brush some hair back behind her ear.  
  
They locked eyes.  
  
“Monte…I…” He sighed. “I love you.”  
  
She smiled. “I love you too Dean.” She whispered leaning over to kiss him softly before curling up under his chin.  
  
They both passed out before they even knew it.

_*Dave Matthew’s Band’s “Out of My Hands” playing in the background*_

* * *

 

Dean woke up thanks to the noonday sun piercing through the cracked curtains. He reached up to rub his eyes and then kissed Monte softly on the top of her head.  
  
She smiled. “Mornin’.” She whispered.  
  
He chuckled. “It’s more like afternoon.”  
  
She opened her eyes to look at him.  
  
“I love you.” He said quietly.  _That’s getting easier and easier to say._  
  
She smiled again. “I love you too.”  
  
She sighed, “So what’s the plan now?”  
  
Dean shrugged. “Hell if I know…I’d be willing to bet Sam’s already up looking though.” He said, shifting over to on his back so Monte could rest her head on his chest.  
  
“He still doesn’t sleep through the night does he?”  
  
It was Dean’s turn to sigh. “No, he doesn’t.”  
  
Monte sat up to look at him. “It’ll take time Dean.”  
  
“I know, I know…he gets more rest than before but still…”  
  
“I know hun…just…be there for him…believe in him…he needs his big bro more than he eludes to.”  
  
He stared at her speechless. “I know.” He whispered.  
  
She smiled sadly. “Trust me…I know the impact big brothers have.”  
  
He scrunched his eyebrows and kissed her forehead lightly. “I know baby.” He whispered.  
  
She curled up beside him. “Think we could at least stay here a few more days? I feel like I haven’t slept in forever.” She laughed.  
  
“Yeah, babe…we can stay.” He laughed.

* * *

 

A couple days later they were packing up the cars at dawn and getting ready to head out.   
  
“Don’t wait so damn long to see me again girl.” Rylee chided Monte.  
  
“I know, I know.”  
  
“You kinda disappeared off the face of the planet on me when you went looking for…” She stopped.  
  
“I know. I promise I’ll come see you or call or whatever. It’s just now, driving around with these boys,” she said, turning to look at Dean and Sam as they shut the trunk and headed over to them. “I don’t know when we’ll be where.”  
  
“I know.” She sighed, pulling Monte into a hug. “Take care babe.”  
  
“I will hun.”  
  
She hugged Dean and Sam too. “And you guys better drop in too ya know.”  
  
Sam smiled and nodded.  
  
“Monte’s family…which means you are too.”  
  
Dean smiled.  
  
“Alright…guess we better head out.”  
  
Dean nodded as they said their final goodbyes, and got in their cars.  
  
Phoenix whined as she sat next to Rylee. She bent over and patted her head. “They’ll come back girl.” She smiled.  
  
He started the Impala and popped the shifter in gear and had just started to move forward when the ass end of a Monte Carlo swerved into view not three feet in front of his bumper and fishtailed, flying around the corner and gunning it down the dirt road. He could barely hear a yelled, “Whoo hoo!” over her blaring speakers.  
  
“Here we go again.” He said, hitting the gas after her.  
  
Rylee smiled.

_*Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On” playing in the background*_


End file.
